Drop pit apparatus



Oct. 21, 1941. H. K.`cHR|s'r|AE -DROP PIT APPARATUS 'Filed Aug. 17, 19393 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Oct. 2l, 1941 DROP PIT APPARATUS Hugh K.Christie, Harvey, I1l'.,fassignor to` Whit:-

ing;Y Corporation; Harve Illinois y, Ill.. a: corporation of ApplicationAugust 17, 1939-, Seria- No. 90,598`

(Cl. 1704-32) i the others. Fig. 7 is a section on line I-.-'l of 1-1Claims.

The invention relates to` drop pit apparatus for handling wheels andtrucksof railway equipment.

One object of the invention is to provide a compound table whichcomprises. a central section adapted to bridge the pit and end-sectionswhich are. conterminous with the side-beams of' the main section and canbe lifted and lowered separately and independently of the centralsection, and means for selectively dropping either a single pair ofwheels at either end of, or an entire truck. Y

' Another object of the invention is to provide a compound table whichcomprises a plurality of sections adapted to bridge the pit with wheelson one of the sections which are adapted to roll on rails on the liftingmechanism which eX- tend completely across the pit so` that it may bewheeled directly from the lifting mechanism onto oor tracks at eitherside of the pit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a compound tablecomprising a central section and a plurality of separately lowerableend-sections, which are provided with laterally orf-set wheels forselective engagement by rails on the lifting carriage. i

Another object of the invention isv to .provide a compound drop table inwhich one of the, separabl'y lowerable sections is provided with meansAfor manually propelling. a wheeled table sectionon and oli rails on thelifting mech,- ani-sm.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the description of thedetails.` l-

The invention consistsin theseveral .novel features which arehereinafter set forth and are more particularly dened by claims at theconclusion hereof.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a plan of the compound table exemplifying theinvention,` the.

nooring being omitted'. Fig. 2 is a section. taken on line 2.-2 ofFig.1, the lifting carriage being shown below the table, Fig. 3 is aperspective of the central table-section which is provided withside-beams adapted to span the pit. Fig.\4 is a perspective of thelifting-carriage. perspective of one of the end-sections of thedrop-table.

gaging one of the end-sections of the` table to raise or lower thatsection `independently` 'lof' Fig. 5 is a` Fig. 5a is a transversesection?` through one of the end-sections of` the .dro.p`.

Fig. 6 is a section on line- 6-6 of Fig. 1, illustrating the liftingcarriage en- 'tracksconsisting of pairs of rails b` arranged Fig; 1-,illustrating the; lifting-carriage in position for simultaneouslyengaging and conjointly raising or lowering all of the sections'. Fig. 8is a section illustrating the lifting-carriage raised to oor level andone of the end-sections being rolled ,off onto one of the floortracks. Y

The invention is eXempli-ed with av shop installation which usuallycomprises a series of in any suitable manner onthe shop floor'andterminating at the sides of a pit a which inter-4 sects thefloor-tracks, a drop-table adapted to be raised and lowered in the pitand comprising a central section c and end-sections d, d1 and a carriagef for raising or lowering the table. The central table-section ccomprises a pair of longitudinal I-bea'rns, I0 at its sides whichextendentirely across the pit and cross I-beams I2 which rigidly connect beamsIvat points spaced some distance inwardly of the ends of the beams I0.Beams ID- extend entirely across the pit to releasably support centralsection c directly from the pit-walls. Beams *I2A are spaced from oneside of the pit to leave an open-ended space at each end of thetablebetween beams I0, beams I 2 which, with theA side-walls of the pit,respectively, VformI substantially rectangular spaces for theend-sections d, d1. Longitudinal I-beams c1 'are secured to, and extendbetween, cross-beams I 2V ot table-section c to support rail-sections c2which terminate at the outer sides of beams I2 and extend across saidtable-section.,

Table-section c isV releasably supported from 'the pit-walls by fourbolts I3 which `are slidably mounted in fixed guides I4 adjacent theouter ends of beams I0, respectively. The outer ends of bolts I3 areadaptedto engage the lower flanges of I-beams m which are built into theIpit-walls, to support section c. A hand-lever I5l at one side oftable-section c is iixed to a transverse shaft I6 which is journaled inbeams Il) and has double-armed levers I1 for operating links l 8 tosimultaneously shift all of the locking-bolts I3. When lever I5 is swunginto its lowered position, the projecting ends of bolts i3 will 'rest onbeamsvm and supportthe beams Ill on table-sections c in track-bridgingposition .front the pit-walls. When lever I 5 is swung up- `wardly,bolts I3 Will be Withdrawn from engagementwith `beams m and` thetable-section .c

willbe"`re1'eased so that it can `be raised or lowered bythe,` liftingcarriagef. Each table-section "d lj 'd1 is rectangular and' `fits yin`one of table-section c.

Each table-section d, d1 is built up of chan-.-

neled side-beams I9, a cross I-beam 20 at its outer end, and a crossI-beam 2| at its inner end, which are secured together. to form a rigidrectangular frame or structure. Longitudinal` I-beams 22 are xed to, andextend between,

table. It is also necessary to raise all of the table-sectionsconjointly above track level for uncoupling a truck from the rollingstock and to raise either of the table-sections d, d1 above track levelto uncouple the pair of wheels thereon from the truck. It is alsodesirable when a pair of wheels has been dropped, transferred and raisedto an unoccupied floor track, to expeditiously transfer the wheel fromthe lifting-carriage to the iloor tracks at either side of the pit.

Rails 34a are xed to the upper faces oi the longitudinal beams 34 of thelifting-carriage f.

' Beams 34 and rails 34.a thereon extend across the cross-beams 20, 2|to support rail-sections d? which extend from end to end of thetable-seo tions d, d1, respectively. Bolts are slidablymounted inY.guides 26 whichv are fixed to beams 22 adjacent the outer ends of eachof the sections d, d1 and are adapted to project, respectively, toengage the beams m in the pit-walls and support the outer ends oftable-sections d, d1 from the pit. Bolts 21 are slidably mounted inguides xed to, and adjacent, the inner end of beams 22 of eachtable-section d, d1 andare adaptedV to beprojected to support the innerends of said sections from cross-beams |2 of A hand-lever 28 is providedfor simultaneously shifting the bolts 25, 21 for each section d, d1 andis fixed to a shaft 23 which is journaled in beams I9 and hasaixedthereto levers 30 which are connected by links 3| to bolts 25 and21. When one of the levers 28 is swungrdownwardly, bolts 25 will beprojected to engage one of the beams m in the adjacent walls and bolts21 will be projected to .engage crossbea-m |2 of table-section c, sothat the table section d or d1 will be supported by, and vbetween, thepit-wall and the table-section c.

When-sections d, d1 are unlocked from the pit,

and beams l2 of table section c, either of said sections may be raisedor lowered independently of section c, orrof each other. Y

The lifting mechanismv comprises a vertically movable carriage which isbuilt up of longitudinal I-beams 34 and a pair of cross channel beams 35at eachrend of vthe carriage, all rigidly secured together. A saddle 38is xedlysecured at each corner of the carriage between the pairs ofcrossbeams which are spaced apart. The mechanism for raising andloweringcarriage ,'f comprises a series of four vertical screws 40 whichare'threaded -to nuts 4| upon which the saddles 33 of carriage f aresupported. These screws are mountedvupon a trolley g which is -providedWith wheels g1 adapted to travel on rails which extend longitudinallyof, and are laid on the bottom of, the pit. The upper ends of the screws4U are Y journaled in bearings 43a in the upper end of the channeledguide-columns f2 which are iixedly secured on the trolley. The outerends of cross- Y beams 35 extend in the channels of columns f2 to Vguide.the carriage vertically. The four screws are synchronously driven by amotor and suitable gearing mountedvon the trolley, as well understoodinthe -art. -The simultaneous rotation of screws 4|) rectilinearly raisesor lowers the lifty ing carriage f.

In practice, itis necessary to engage the lifting mechanism with all ofthe table-sections conjointly for dropping a truck or to engage eitherone or ,they other of` the end-sections d, d1 for drop, pinga singlepair of wheels from a truck on the `pit and are spaced aparttransversely conformably to the spacing between the longitudinal beams22 of end-sections d, d1 and the longitudinal beams c1 of the section c,so that rails 34a may be brought into vertical alignment with saidlongitudinal beamsof all the sections.

When the lifting-carriage is centered under, and transversely of, thedrop-table, and the carriage is raised, rails 34 will engage the underside of longitudinal beams c1 and cross-beams l2 of table-section c andlongitudinal beams 22 of table-sections d, d1 to transmit the load onthe rail-sections directly through the table to the lifting-carriage, asshown in Fig. '1. When the carriage is thus positioned, all of thetable-sections will be supported on the lifting-carriage for conjointraising or lowering of all of said sections with the load thereon. Thecross-beams 35 of the lifting-carriage are extended laterally andprovided with abutments .31 for engaging the outt er ends of .thelongitudinal beams I0 of the central table-section c, when the carriageis centered under the table. Abutments 31 lare provided with inclinedupturned anges for positioning the beams |)'on the lifting-carriage andpreventing relative lateral movement between them when abutments 31 areengaged with beams Hi. This construction results in enicientlysupporting the tableon the carriage f when the table is heavily loadedand insures rectilinear vertical movement fof all o f the table-sectionsby said carriage.

u Each of thetable-sections d, d1 is provided on its under side with aset of four wheels 48 which are spaced -apart transversely conformablyto the spacing betweenthe rails 34a on the lifting-carriage, `and kareadapted to-be engaged thereby. The wheels of either of thetable-sections d, d1, when they are supported on the tracks 348, permitsaidsections to be run over the lifting-carriage and from one side ofthe pit to the other. The rails 34a extend between the sides of the pitand are adapted to completely, bridge the space between sections' ofthe,rails of tracks f on opposite sides of the .pit when thelifting-carriage is raised to bring rails 34a to oor level and alignedwith the rail-sections of tracks b. This makes it possible to rolleither of the table-sections d, d1 from rails 34ste the tracks at eitherside of the pit.

The Wheels at each side of sections d, d1 are n rotatably supportedbetween, and by, a pair of longitudinally extending beams 49 which aresecured kto the under side of the transverse beams 20, 2| of saidtable-sections. All of the wheels 48 on .table-section d are disposed atone side of the vlongitudinal beams 22 and the wheels 48 for thesections d1 are supported at lthe opposite side of said beams so thatthe wheels of one of said table-sections will be offset transverselyrelatively to the wheels of the other.

When .one of the table-sections d, d1 is to be lifted above tracklevelfor uncoupling a pair of Wheels from a truck, the carriage f is movedlon- Wheels 48 dn the table-section to be shifted. I Thelifting-carriage is then raised to elevate the said table-section abovetrack-level so that the Wheels can Ybe uncoupled.' When thelocking-mechanism for said section is released from section c and beamsm in the pit-Wall, said sectioncan be dropped to lower the uncoupledpair of wheels into the pit for transfer to another track. Wheels 48 areprovided -with flanges for engaging the sides of rails 35sal to hold theWheels against transverse movement on the lifting-carriage during Vtheraising and lowering of said wheels. When either end-section of thetable has been loaded with a pair of wheels and transferred and liftedto another floor-track, it can be rolled across the pit on rails 34a andonto the floor-rails at the opposite side of the pit or can be rolledonto the floor-rails at the adjacent side of the pit. Either of sectionsd, d1 can be operated in the same manner. l

Each table-section d, d2 is also provided With mechanism for manuallypropellingit, with its. load, on rails 34a. This mechanism comprises avertical shaft 5U which is slidably and rotatably mounted in a pair ofbrackets El secured to one of the side-beams i9; a crank 52 fixed to theupper end of shaft 50; a bevelled pinion 53 splined to shaft 59 and'held against verticalY movement; a beveled gear 54 meshing with pinion53; a cross-shaft 55 for gear 53 journaled in bea-rings 56 Xed to thetransverse beams of said 'table-section; pinions 51 fixed to shaft 55;and gears 58 fixed to the Wheels 4&2 and engaging` ,pinions 51. Crank 52and shaft 5i). are lowerable to move the crank out of the Way when notin use; A spring-detent 53 is adapted vto lengage a groove 60 at. thelovv'er end ofshaft to hold crank 52 and said shaft raised during theIopera'tion of the crank to propel the table-section. This propellingmechanism facilitates the transier ofa single pair of wheels from the,liftingcarriage to the desired place for repair. Flooring g` is suitablysupported on each of the 'tablesections between, and' at the outer sidesof, the

rail-sections'cz, cd, as Well understood in the art.-

The construction set forthV exemplifies atabletop comprising a centralsection adapted tofbe supported from the` pit-walls and end-sectionswhich can be ccnjointly raised or lowered by the liftingcarriage bypositioning the lifting-carriage centrally and transversely of the topand by shifting the lifting-carriage Vto one sideof the center forraising and lowering one. of, the lendsections and shifting thelifting-carriage to the opposite side of said center for raising andlovvering the other end table-section. It also exempliiies acompoundtable-top in which the endsections are providedwith Wheels fortransporting them across, and frompthe lifting-'carriage' onto thefloor-tracks which are Vstationarily mounted on the table-sections, thelifting-carriage being adapted to be positioned for selective engagementwith the Wheels of the sections, respectively.

The invention exemplifies a drop-pit apparatus in which a compoundtable-top composed of a central section is provided with beams adaptedto bridge and to be supported from the pit-Walls and end-sectionsconter-minous With the longitudinal beams of the pit, all the sectionsbeing conjointly lowerable by the liftingcarriage and the end-sectionsbeing separately lowerable independently of the central section.

'Ihe invention also exemplifies a compound drop-apparatus in which thetable comprises a plurality of sections, one of which is lowerableindependently of the other and is provided With Wheels and' thellifting-carriage is provided with rails for the Wheels which extendcompletely across the pit so that the Wheel-section can be rolleddirectly from the lifting-carriage to the floor-tracks at 'either sideof the pit.

The invention also exemplies drop-pit apparatus in which the tablecomprises central and end-sections and either of' the end-sections canbe vseparately 'engaged by the lifting-carriage by lateral movement ofthe carriage in the pit for selectively dropping either of theend-sections.

The invention also 'exemplifies a drop-table which comprises anindependently lowerable section Which is provided with propellingmechanism for expediting the delivery of a pair of Wheels to the' placefor repair.

The inventionis not to be understood as restricted to the details setforth, since these may be modified Within the scope of the appendedclaims, Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, What I claim asnevv` and desire tosecure by lLetters Patent is:

1. In drop pit apparatus, the combination with a drop-table comprising aplurality of vertically movable table-sections,v onev ofvvhich isseparable from, and lowerable independently of, the other, and providedwith Wheels, and means for releasably supporting the sections inpit-bridging position, of a lifting carriage movablever-tically andlaterally in the pit and provided with rails extending across the pitand adapted to engage the wheels for separately shifting theindependently lovverable table-section,4 and means on both sections,laterally offset relatively. to the wheels, and adapted to be engaged bythe carriage-rails for ccnjointly shifting them.- i

2. In drop pit apparatus, the combinationwith a drop-table comprising acentralvertically movable section, and a pair `of end-sections @ach ofwhich is separable from, and lowerable independently of, the centralsection, each end-section provided with Wheels relatively odsettransversely of the table, and means for releasablysupporting'thesections in` pit-bridging position, of alifting-carriagemovable vertically and laterally inthe pit and providedwith rails extendingacross th epit and adapted to engage 'the wheels andseparately shift either of` theindependezrtly lowerable table-sections,and means on the sections, laterally oiset. relatively'v to Wheels. andadapted to be simultaneously engaged and shifted by the rails on thecarriage i 3. In drop pit apparatus, the combination with adrop-tablecomprising a plurality of sections, one of which is separable from, andlowerable independently of the other, and provided with Wheels, meansfor releasably supportingl the sections in pit-bridging position, of alifting-carriage movable vertically and laterally in the pit andprovided with rails extending to the ends of the carriage and entirelyacross the pit and adapted to engage the wheels for separately shiftingthe independently lowerable section and on which said latter section canbe rolled ori the carriage onto the oor at either side of the pit.

4. In drop pit apparatus, the combination with a drop-table comprising aplurality of sections,

one of which is separable from, and lowerable independently of theother, and provided with xed'bearings and Wheels mounted in saidbearings, means for releasably supporting the sections in pit-bridgingposition, of a lifting-carriage movable vertically and laterally in thepitY and provided withrails extending tothe ends of the carriage andentirely across the pit and adapted to engage the Wheels for separatelyshifting the independently lowerable 'section and on which said lattersection can be rolled to either side of, and off, the carriage.V

5. Indrop-pit apparatus, the combination withY a drop-table comprising avertically movable central'section and end-sections; and adapted toextend completely across a' drop pit, th-e tablesections being providedwith rail-sections to form a track acrossthe pit, the end-sections beingseparable from, and lowerable independently of, the central section,means for releasably supporting the table-sections in pit-bridgingposition, the end-,sections being provided with wheels, of alifting-carriage movable vertically and later- Vally in the pit,provided with tracksY which, `by Y the lateral movement of the carriagerelatively to the table are adapted to be positioned for, and

by vertical movement of the carriage, to 'sep-v arately engage and shiftthe wheels on 'either of the end sections. Y

v6. In drop pit appa a drop-table comprising a vertically movablecentral section and end-sections andadapted to extend completely acrossadrop-pit, the table-sections being provided With rail-sections to forma track across the pit, the end-sections being separable from, andlovv'erable independently of, the central section, means for releasablysupporting the table-sections in pit-bridging position, the end-sectionsbeing provided with Wheels, the

Wheels on one end-section being offset laterally f' relatively to theWheels on the other, of a lifting-carriage movable vertically andlaterally in the pit, and provided with tracks extending across the pitwhich, by the lateral movement of the Vcarriage relatively to the tableare adapted to be positioned for, and by vertical movement of thecarriage, to separately engage and shift the Wheels on either of the endsections.

` *7.* In drop pit apparatus, the combination with a drop-,tablecomprising a vertically movable central section and end-sections andadapted to extend completely across a drop pit, thetable ratus, thecombination with the lateral and vertical movements of the carriagerelatively to the table.

8. In drop pit apparatus, the combination with a drop-table comprising avertically movable central section and end-sections, and adapted to eX-tend completely across a drop pit, the table-sections being providedwith rail-sections to form a track across the pit, the end-sectionsbeing separable from, and lowerable independently of, the centralsection, means for releasably supporting the table-sections inpit-bridging position, the end-sections being provided with Wheels, of alifting-carriage movable vertically and laterally in the pit, andprovided with rails extending to the ends of the carriage and completelyacross the pit and adapted to alternately engage the Wheels on theend-sections by lateral and vertical movements of the carriagerelatively to the table, and on which either of the end-sections can berolled across the pit and onto the floor.

9; In drop pit apparatus, the combination with a drop-table comprising aplurality of table-sections, one of which is separable from, and movableindependently of, the other, the separably- 2 lowerable section beingprovided with wheels, of

a lifting carriage movable vertically and laterally in the pit andprovided with rails adapted to engage the wheels, and manually operablepropelling mechanism mounted on the separately t. lowerable section fortransporting said latter section on the'rails of the lifting carriage.

10. In drop pit apparatus, the combination with a drop-table comprisinga plurality of tablesections, one of which is separable from, and

" movable independently of, the other, the separably lowerable sectionbeing provided with Wheels, of a lifting-carriage movable vertically andlaterally in the pit and provided with rails extending across the pitand adapted to engage the Wheels,

and' manually operable propelling mechanism on the separably loWerablesection for transporting said latter section on the rails of theliftingcarriage, and comprising an operating element movable intoposition above the table and adapted t Y to be lowered when not in use.

l1. In drop pit Y apparatus, the lcombination with av drop-tablecomprising a plurality of vertically movable table-sections, one ofwhich is separable from, and lowerable independently of the other, andprovided lwith Wheels mounted on shafts which are immovably xed parallelto the plane of the table, and means for releasably sup-` porting thesections in pit-bridging position, of

, a lifting-carriage movablevertically and laterally in the pit andprovided with rails extending across the pit and adapted to engage theWheels and separately shift the independently-lowerable table-section,and means on both sections adapted to be engaged by the rails on thecarriage for conjointly lifting and lowering the sections, the Wheelsbeing adapted to run on the rails on the carriage when the Wheeledsection is separated from the other section. j

HUGH K. CHRISTIE.

